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Bakery-Style Vanilla Cupcakes

November 11, 2011 - 152 Comments

Bakery Style Vanilla Cupcakes via Sweetapolita

Happy National Vanilla Cupcake Day! I’m sorry that I’m sending you these wishes at the end of the day, but I couldn’t go without celebrating this holiday with you, but as usual, this is a late-night write. With such a holiday to celebrate, how could I possibly wake up and not bake a batch of classic pink vanilla bakery-style cupcakes? I couldn’t, so I did.

Bakery Style Vanilla Cupcakes via Sweetapolita

So we’ve got company today–a close friend (you may remember I chatted awhile back about how it was because of him my husband and I met) visiting from Grand Cayman, and I thought it would be a great time to celebrate National Vanilla Cupcake Day. I realized that as much as I make vanilla cake with vanilla frosting (of all kinds), that I don’t often make a classic bakery-style vanilla cupcake with sweet frosting and sprinkles. I know, it’s really inexcusable, considering. So this morning I woke up and made a batch of the Magnolia Bakery vanilla cupcakes. If you’re not familiar with the Magnolia Bakery, it’s a charming bakery in New York City that has been celebrated for its from-scratch baked goods, most notably the pink vanilla cupakes and the like. I first learned of the bakery while watching Sex in the City, but I’m sad to report that I’ve never actually set foot inside the bakery or tried any of their treats.

Bakery Style Vanilla Cupcakes via Sweetapolita

Bakery Style Vanilla Cupcakes via Sweetapolita

As you may believe, I love cupcakes, and I have made many, but I hadn’t ever baked or tried their version, so today seemed like a good time to give that a whirl. The cupcake portion of their recipe is a very classic butter cake technique and you won’t find anything too unexpected in the ingredient list, but the result is pleasingly vanilla and perfectly classic. After much blog discussion about vanilla cake, following the Fluffy White Vanilla Cake post (a post about my epic journey to discover a pure white, fluffy, cake-mix-like scratch cake), I have received dozens of emails asking me if that batter would be suitable for the ultimate cupcake. Truthfully, I find that batter amazing and ideal for fluffy cake layers, but with only egg whites, I find it doesn’t make the ideal cupcakes. That’s just for my taste, though, but I love a sweet, sturdy and “eggy” cupcake (sorry if that sounds odd, but it’s the only way I can describe that taste). This recipe calls for, among other things, 4 whole eggs, a generous amount of white sugar and a combination of self-rising and all-purpose (plain) flour, which to me is a great combination for the classic cupcake.

Bakery Style Vanilla Cupcakes via Sweetapolita

If you read my previous post about my Ruffles & Roses tea party, you may remember the Fairy Cakes. For those I used another vanilla cupcake recipe from another popular New York City bakery, Billy’s Bakery, that has a very similar ingredient list, but uses a combination of cake flour and self-rising flour. That recipe, however, uses the reverse creaming method, just as my Fluffy Vanilla Cake does, and the result is very similar to the Magnolia Bakery version. To me, they are both wonderful and consistent options for the perfect vanilla cupcake and I think the biggest difference is the “cake flour” taste–some love it, and some prefer a less distinct flavour that all-purpose flour seems to lend.

Bakery Style Vanilla Cupcakes via Sweetapolita

For the frosting, I opted to sort of combine my favourite whipped vanilla frosting with the sugary-sweet Magnolia buttercream, by increasing the icing sugar, but keeping it a bit less than what they call for. I have to admit that making these pink sprinkled vanilla cupcakes, made me happier than even I could have guessed.

If you’d like to keep up with the seemingly endless ‘National Dessert Days,” just for fun, my friends over at Best Friends for Frosting have a fabulous post including the Complete Directory List of National Dessert Days, and, trust me, I refer to it often!

Speaking of pink sprinkles, I’m not sure my life will be complete if I don’t soon order this. Why do sprinkles make us so silly happy?

Ah, yes, sprinkles. I have too much to say about them. No, really, I do, but, oh friends, it’s the middle of the night here in my world, and I think I must go to sleep! I don’t say that often, but tonight, I must. I will be back very soon to talk about all sorts of life-altering topics: flour, buttercream, frosting cakes, chocolate, pink . . . zzzz.

Off I go to dream about cakes and rainbows. Or more sleep.

Print
Bakery-Style Vanilla Cupcakes
Servings: 24 standard cupcakes, or two 9-inch round cakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
  • 1-1/2 cups 190 g self-rising flour
  • 1-1/4 cups 160 g all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup 2 sticks(227 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups 400 g white sugar
  • 4 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 cup 237 ml milk
  • 1 teaspoon 5 ml pure vanilla
For the frosting:
  • 3 sticks 345 g unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes
  • 5 cups 625 g confectioners’ sugar (icing, powdered)
  • 2 tablespoons 30 ml milk
  • 2 teaspoons 10 mL pure vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt
Instructions
For the cupcakes:
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 standard muffin tins with cupcake liners of your choice (24 total).
  2. In a small bowl, combine the flours and set aside.
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
  4. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended.
  5. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners and bake in middle of oven until tops turn golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out just clean (a few crumbs is okay), about 18 minutes.
  6. Cool the cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.
For the frosting:
  1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip butter for 5 minutes on medium speed (I use “4″ on my KitchenAid). Butter will become very pale & creamy.
  2. Add remaining ingredients and mix on low speed for 1 minute, then on medium speed for 5 minutes. Frosting will be very light, creamy, and fluffy.
  3. Add touch of gel food colour, if desired and mix until blended.
  4. Best used right away.
Sweetapolita's Notes

[cupcake recipe adapted from Magnolia Bakery]

Sweetapolita’s Notes:

1. To keep frosting smooth and creamy (and not filled with air-bubbles), work it often in the bowl with a rubber spatula, in a pressing & smearing movement to remove air bubbles.

2. To decorate these cupcakes, I used a few drops of Americolor Electric Pink Soft Gel Paste to achieve the “bakery-pink” colour. I then piped a generous swirl of frosting onto each cupcake using a plain round decorating tip inserted in a piping bag, followed by pressing the bottom flat side of a small offset spatula into the centre of the frosting swirl, working in a gentle circular motion, to create an indent and swirl onto the cupcake.

3. I try to avoid keeping cupcakes in an airtight container, as that seems to cause some of the liners to separate from the cupcakes. Cake boxes with the flaps closed seems to work well.

Good luck & enjoy!

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Filed Under: Cupcakes, Vanilla Cupcakes Tagged With: bakery, cupcakes, frosting, magnolia, pink, sprinkles, vanilla

« Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Tart {Giveaway Winners Announced!}
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Comments

  1. Elyce says

    November 11, 2011 at 3:43 am

    they look delightful! just the receipe I was looking for to treat myself after finishing my uni assignment! I shall make and devour these tomorrow!!! thanks!

    Reply
  2. Kathryn says

    November 11, 2011 at 4:01 am

    A very fitting way to celebrate National Vanilla Cupcake Day! Sometimes you just can’t beat a simple vanilla cupcake.

    Reply
  3. marctuero says

    November 11, 2011 at 4:27 am

    Beautiful!! Shall I devour these now???… jajaja…

    http://www.mipatisserie.blogspot.com

    Reply
  4. Marina says

    November 11, 2011 at 5:33 am

    I love your blog, i’ve been reading for a while now and I’m still amazed by your style and your work !
    Thanks a lot for putting your recipe in grams, it’s quite hard to put everything in grams by myself.
    Regards from France thank you for being such a great blogger, photographer and of course baker :)

    Reply
  5. heather says

    November 11, 2011 at 6:03 am

    They are so cute and perfect, I let out a tiny squeal when I saw them! :)

    Reply
  6. Lauren at Keep It Sweet says

    November 11, 2011 at 6:48 am

    Gorgeous as usual! I wish I had a dozen in my kitchen right now.

    Reply
  7. Jessica @ How Sweet says

    November 11, 2011 at 6:52 am

    Most gorgeous pictures ever!

    Reply
  8. Laura {The Embellished Nest} says

    November 11, 2011 at 7:40 am

    Rosie your photographs and their content always brightens my day! Those cupcakes are lovely.

    Reply
  9. Blog is the New Black says

    November 11, 2011 at 8:00 am

    Absolutely gorgeous!

    Reply
  10. Cookbook Queen says

    November 11, 2011 at 9:03 am

    These are cupcake perfection. Seriously–if you look up “cupcake” in the dictionary, these photos would be next to it! Definitely trying this recipe :)

    Reply
  11. Annabelle says

    November 11, 2011 at 9:25 am

    Hi, These cupcakes seem great, but I have a little problem. where I live they do not sell self rising flour, is there anything that I can substitute it with? Thx

    Reply
    • Genius says

      June 22, 2013 at 3:26 am

      They don’t sell self-raising flour where I am either, but you can make your own! the ratio is: 1 cup all purpose mixed with 2 tsp baking powder. Or for this recipe, Just substitute the self-raising flour for all-purpose flour and add 3 tsp to the mixture. Hope this helped

      Reply
  12. Kelli says

    November 11, 2011 at 9:41 am

    Congrats to the winners!
    Silly question, the amounts seem a tiny bit higher than some of the other recipes I usually see. How many cupcakes were you about to get out of this batch? (Forgive me if you wrote it somewhere, I looked but didn’t notice if you put that somewhere. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Rosie @ Sweetapolita says

      November 11, 2011 at 10:04 am

      Sorry, Kelli, it’s 24 standard cupcakes. Enjoy!

      Reply
  13. Nick says

    November 11, 2011 at 10:00 am

    Thank you for sharing
    I make this recipe today and I had a little problem.
    The cupcake was seperade from the cup but at the bottom center.
    U can see it only if you look downunder the cupcake.
    Did u know what I did wrong..???
    The recipe above of this was amazing..

    Thanks Nick

    Reply
    • Rosie @ Sweetapolita says

      November 12, 2011 at 8:54 pm

      Hi Nick,
      Hmm…I’m not really sure what happened with your cupcakes? Is it possible that the cupcakes were under-baked? I’ve not heard of that happening before, so I’m not 100% certain; I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help!

      Reply
      • Nick says

        November 13, 2011 at 5:02 am

        Thank you
        …what do you mean by saing under baked?? Also is there a possibility to be baking cups problem?? :))
        thanks in advance!

        Reply
        • Rosie @ Sweetapolita says

          November 13, 2011 at 8:09 am

          Nick, it’s definitely possible that your baking liners/cups are causing some kind of separation, but I’m really not certain. I’m wondering if your cupcakes were not baked enough, leaving the center gooey, and separate from underneath. Sorry I really can’t say for certain!

          Reply
  14. ana {bluebirdkisses} says

    November 11, 2011 at 10:04 am

    Gorgeous photos!! I will have to try making these today…yum!

    Reply
    • Rosie @ Sweetapolita says

      November 12, 2011 at 8:52 pm

      Thanks, Ana–I hope you love them!

      Reply
  15. Alba says

    November 11, 2011 at 10:07 am

    These are so beautiful, like everything that you do! That’s my recipe for this weekend.(;

    Reply
    • Rosie @ Sweetapolita says

      November 12, 2011 at 8:52 pm

      Thanks, Alba!

      Reply
  16. Fresh and Foodie says

    November 11, 2011 at 10:42 am

    I love Magnolia Bakery. We just got one here in Chicago (lucky me) and it’s only a few block away from my work (even luckier me). Their frosting is amazing.

    I love the look of these — especially the way you frosted and decorated them. Just beautifl.

    Reply
    • Rosie @ Sweetapolita says

      November 12, 2011 at 8:52 pm

      Thanks so much, and yes, lucky you! I didn’t realize they were branching out of NYC. I suppose that was just a matter of time!

      Reply
  17. Deborah says

    November 11, 2011 at 10:47 am

    I don’t know if I should admit this, but I’ve been to Magnolia, and didn’t really like their cupcakes. But I have heard raves about this at-home version, so I think I need to try them out! Your cupcakes are just gorgeous, like always! :)

    Reply
    • Rosie @ Sweetapolita says

      November 12, 2011 at 8:51 pm

      Thanks, Deborah! I’m curious how these would compare the bakery cupcakes in-shop. I think a trip to NYC is in order! :)

      Reply
  18. Annalise says

    November 11, 2011 at 10:47 am

    HUGE cupcake craving now, thanks Rosie! These look incredible.

    Reply
  19. amarachi says

    November 11, 2011 at 11:23 am

    i am definitely making these this weekend

    Reply
    • amarachi says

      November 12, 2011 at 9:31 am

      Rosie, where do you get your cupcake liners and butter?

      Reply
  20. nicole {sweet peony} says

    November 11, 2011 at 11:53 am

    rosie, these are perfect! seriously, the most beautiful, perfect little cupcakes! you made me realize that i need to make a plain bakery-style pink vanilla cupcake soon :D also, your pictures are gorgeous! love love love!!!

    Reply
  21. Kim Bee says

    November 11, 2011 at 12:00 pm

    Congrats to the winners! These are some seriously cute cupcakes. I get hungry every time I stop by.

    Reply
  22. Katrina says

    November 11, 2011 at 12:06 pm

    These are freaking beautiful!

    Reply
    • Rosie @ Sweetapolita says

      November 12, 2011 at 8:51 pm

      Thanks, Katrina! xo

      Reply
  23. Rikki says

    November 11, 2011 at 2:02 pm

    Mmmmm these look so delicious. I love all the pink!

    Reply
  24. Maria says

    November 11, 2011 at 2:34 pm

    Love the pink and sprinkles!

    Reply
  25. Kaitlin says

    November 11, 2011 at 3:07 pm

    These are just too cute. Lovely!

    Also, congrats to the winners!

    Reply
  26. Lisa says

    November 11, 2011 at 3:08 pm

    I love your posts…they make me happy, just like pink cupcakes and sprinkles :) Thanks again for sharing! Happy Weekend!

    Reply
  27. Shauna from Piece of Cake says

    November 12, 2011 at 12:11 am

    This is amazing…I spent the entire day working on a vanilla-vanilla cupcake recipe! Great minds. xxoo

    Reply
  28. Erika - The Teenage Taste says

    November 12, 2011 at 8:22 am

    Oh my goodness! These cupcakes look perfect – if it wasn’t 8AM I would bake them (and then eat them!) right now.

    Reply
  29. Cookin' Canuck says

    November 12, 2011 at 9:18 am

    What beautiful cupcakes! I’m sure your guest was thrilled to me treated with some of these.

    Reply
  30. JJ @ 84thand3rd says

    November 12, 2011 at 9:18 am

    These look lovely! And to tell you the truth they are probably better than the ones in the shop (gasp, I know) … of NYC cupcakes Magnolia has the longest line but Crumbs is so much tastier!

    Reply
    • Rosie @ Sweetapolita says

      November 12, 2011 at 8:45 pm

      Thank you! I love the look of the Crumbs cupcakes–yum! I’d love to visit there as well, and I think a trip to NYC is soon in order. :)

      Reply
  31. Brenda @ a farmgirl's dabbles says

    November 12, 2011 at 9:26 am

    These are so sweet and delicate, with a fun topping of sprinkles. Beautiful!

    Reply
  32. Alison @ Ingredients, Inc. says

    November 12, 2011 at 11:53 am

    so pretty!

    Reply
  33. Smith & Ratliff says

    November 12, 2011 at 1:19 pm

    I knew before even clicking that these were based on the Magnolia recipe! You did a great job decorating them, too.

    Reply
  34. Rachel @ Bakerita says

    November 12, 2011 at 1:57 pm

    Love this! They look absolutely delicious, and I love how you decorated them! So beautiful. Can’t wait to try them.

    Reply
  35. Erica says

    November 12, 2011 at 2:20 pm

    I’ve never been to the original Magnolia bakery in New York City, but they have a branch out here in LA. Their cupcakes are absolutely delicious–far better than all the other cupcake places that have sprouted up all over southern California! Anyway, I love how you decorated them! The sprinkles make them much cuter and playful.

    Reply
  36. Karly says

    November 12, 2011 at 8:09 pm

    I don’t know how you take a simple cupcake and make it look so beautiful, but you do. You’re kind of amazing. :)

    Reply
  37. Honey @ Honey, What's Cooking says

    November 12, 2011 at 10:05 pm

    these look gorgeous. Magnolia cupcakes are yummy… and your pictures are gorgeous!

    Reply
  38. Diane {Created by Diane} says

    November 13, 2011 at 1:49 pm

    They are so pretty. I love that “bakery pink” frosting :) gorgeous photos!

    Reply
  39. Jenn@eatcakefordinner says

    November 13, 2011 at 4:25 pm

    Oh my gosh! How do you make everything look so mouthwatering and amazing all the time? Beautiful photos. I have always wanted to try this recipe, but I never have self rising flour on hand.

    Reply
  40. Claire says

    November 13, 2011 at 10:52 pm

    I just made these cupcakes, they are delicious! They have a lovely texture and a fairly flat top – great for decorating. I thought they were a little greasy though (the bottoms of mine turned out greasy).

    Reply
    • Rosie @ Sweetapolita says

      November 14, 2011 at 9:24 am

      So glad you like them, Claire. I wonder why they were greasy. This has occured for me with some other vanilla cupcake recipes, but this one actually wasn’t, which is what I like about it. I wish I could help in some way!

      Reply
  41. Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen says

    November 14, 2011 at 12:56 am

    Sometimes simple vanilla is the best thing in the world. I was so excited when a Magnolia’s opened near me last year, and I could finally taste one!

    Reply
    • Rosie @ Sweetapolita says

      November 14, 2011 at 11:12 am

      Thanks, Sylvie! I didn’t realize that Magnolia’s were opening up all over the US, seemingly. I wonder if we’ll ever get one in Toronto. We do have a few cupcakeries, but it would be fun to try one of their cupcakes! :)

      Reply
  42. embertine says

    November 14, 2011 at 9:03 am

    You’ve really got me onto the tall layered cakes! Did a four layer choc-orange one yesterday, but I can see an eight-layer in my future (asparagus optional!). Thanks for the inspiration – didn’t even know what a crumb coat was for before reading this blog, but now I can’t remember how I iced a cake without it! x ember

    Reply
    • Rosie @ Sweetapolita says

      November 14, 2011 at 4:36 pm

      So glad to hear that, Ember! What a wonderful comment–thank you!

      Reply
  43. Darla | Bakingdom says

    November 14, 2011 at 9:32 am

    I love Magnolia. Hubs and I lived in NYC for 2 years, a few years ago. Sometimes I very much miss it…it’s amazing…and sometimes, I’m relieved to be somewhere smaller and quieter. Yet, we always talk about going back. Maybe it’s for the cupcakes. ;)

    I love your styling. You have a gift for making the simplest recipes look beautiful and delectable! I want to be where those cupcakes are!

    Reply
    • Rosie @ Sweetapolita says

      November 14, 2011 at 11:11 am

      Thank so much, Darla. I didn’t realize you lived in NYC–that’s pretty great! We actually lived in NJ in 2005-2006 for a year, and I made frequent trips to NYC. Loved it! Thank you for the sweet words about my photos :)

      Reply
  44. Leah says

    November 14, 2011 at 10:49 am

    Hi Rosie. I love the blog and have a collection of recipe print outs that I’m dying to try! The pictures are beautiful too.

    Love,

    Leah (England)

    Reply
  45. SweetSugarBelle says

    November 14, 2011 at 11:10 am

    I can do this!!!!

    Reply
  46. Brian says

    November 14, 2011 at 1:16 pm

    I’ve been to Magnolia Bakery in NYC. Honestly, their cakes are nothing more than recipes our grandmothers used to make. Any maybe that’s the allure of it to New Yorkers who maybe didn’t experience these homemade goodies during their childhood? I dunno. I’m sure the movie making reference to Magnolia helped a lot too.

    Reply
  47. Brian says

    November 14, 2011 at 1:19 pm

    BTW – I suspect Magnolia uses shortening in their icing. Something about the taste.

    Reply
  48. PEARSE says

    November 14, 2011 at 11:10 pm

    Hi
    Are these cakes dense? I had tried a million from scratch recipes with no success. They all turn out dense. I am trying to find a fluffy layer cake just like the kind you get from cake mixes. I don’t like to use cake mixes though-man, the ingredient list in a cake mix is scary.
    so can anyone who had tried this please let me know whether this is a dense cake or a fluffy cake. that will save my family of eating another dense cake-they are not interested in it anymore.
    thanks in advance

    Reply
  49. Nic@diningwithastud says

    November 15, 2011 at 12:32 am

    The frosting looks divine!!!! :D

    Reply
  50. Sheila says

    November 15, 2011 at 6:11 am

    I just made a batch of these cupcakes for my colleagues farewell and they were amazing!!! Its incredible how real vanilla makes such a big difference! Im never going back to the imitation ones! Anyway, thank you for sharing the cupcake awesomeness!!!

    Reply
  51. NAILA says

    November 15, 2011 at 12:09 pm

    have u used the subsititution method for self rising flour . what is the exact ratio for the flour to baking powder. will it effect the result of the cake if i dont use the store bought self rising flour ?

    thanx

    Reply
  52. Wenderly says

    November 15, 2011 at 5:40 pm

    Oh do these little cuties put a smile on my face…but then again, I never leave your site without one.

    Reply
  53. JoyHey says

    November 16, 2011 at 3:31 am

    Wow, I really need to make these! Yum-yum-yummy! They look so adorable :) And a big thank you for the blog text + sidebar mention, Rosie. You truly made me smile from one ear to another. Sending pastel hugs your way xx!

    Reply
  54. Culinary Collage says

    November 16, 2011 at 10:53 am

    These are beautiful!!!

    Reply
  55. Divya says

    November 16, 2011 at 1:15 pm

    These are so unbelievably adorable! I love how they have a slightly whimsical feel to them. Surely put a smile on my face.

    Reply
  56. Melissa @ Best Friends For Frosting says

    November 16, 2011 at 3:37 pm

    Thanks so much for the mention Sweetapolita! I have tried this Vanilla Cupcake recipe from The Official Magnolia Bakery and can vouch they are one of my favorites!

    Reply
  57. Kathia says

    November 16, 2011 at 4:55 pm

    They look totally adorable, I love the pink frosting and sprinkles.

    Reply
  58. Lissa (Bellenza) says

    November 17, 2011 at 8:21 am

    I know what you mean about the sprinkles…these cupcakes look so ridiculously cute with those stop the frosting! I’m sure they’re delicious, too!

    Reply
  59. Lissa (Bellenza) says

    November 17, 2011 at 8:23 am

    Oops…I meant “ATOP the frosting”!

    Reply
  60. Marla says

    November 17, 2011 at 11:21 pm

    Rosie, I have never heard of Billy’s Bakery in NYC. These beauties remind me of Magnolia Bakery though. Pinning now :)

    Reply
  61. amarachi says

    November 20, 2011 at 9:57 am

    Rosie where do you buy your cupcake liners and butter?

    Reply
  62. Mary says

    November 20, 2011 at 11:09 am

    Absolute YUM!!!! Nothing beats a classic xoxo

    Reply
  63. Raquel Mendes says

    December 11, 2011 at 8:34 am

    I’ve just baked these! Made them all christmassy though… And I needed a bit more of icing sugar for the frosting to get it how I wanted it, but still so yummi :)

    Reply
  64. Kitty says

    December 12, 2011 at 6:09 pm

    My cupcakes were very good but had a pretty strong eggy-taste. What would I do to get rid of that strong taste? Pretty obvious to maybe get rid of one egg but I don’t know what else I’d have to reduce or if it will change the measurements.

    Someone also mentioned up there that their cupcakes separated from the bottom of the liner. Mine did too, I’m almost wondering if it has to do with the flour (I didn’t use self rising flour) or amount of butter that’s in these cupcakes. I don’t really care that mine separated from the bottom, it’s not really noticeable and the taste is great anyways.

    Reply
  65. Danielle says

    December 13, 2011 at 12:02 am

    Just made these and my whole family is RAVING about them! So impressed with this recipe! The texture is amazing. Extremely light and fluffy.

    Reply
  66. Alyssa says

    December 29, 2011 at 11:18 pm

    This was my first attempt at making any type of cake from scratch, and I knew immediately upon deciding to do so that I would use a sweetapolita-approved recipe. After tasting them, I’ve decided never to use a boxed mix again if I can help it! They came out wonderfully fluffy and light, vanilla-y, and without the odd preservative aftertaste that cake mixes usually have. Thank you so much for your wonderful, inspiring site – it never fails to bring such joy to my week!

    Reply
  67. Melissa says

    January 6, 2012 at 1:49 pm

    These cupcakes were definitely delicious, LOVED the flavor, however mine was very dense. I guess I prefer a fluffier cupcake! THanks for the recipe :)

    Reply
  68. caroline says

    January 9, 2012 at 12:26 pm

    Hi! I was wondering what time I should adjust this to if I wanted to make it in a cake pan? Hoping to make an awesome cake for my nephews party and using fondant for the first time. Wish me luck!

    Reply
  69. Jacqui says

    January 14, 2012 at 4:51 am

    I found this recipe this morning on my little Pinterest rave and was quite eager to try them. They taste divine, very bakery style! However I’m not much one for liners and cooked them in a muffin tray, of which they quite rudely refused to come out in one piece… Not to worry, the fiance had me scoop them out into a bowl so he could have them with ice cream later! Am quite eager to give it another go, maybe tomorrow, with liners…
    Also, I am Australian and have never tasted a “Magnolia Bakery” cupcake, but in comparison to my local bakery, these really are beautiful!

    Reply
  70. Holly W says

    January 15, 2012 at 5:11 pm

    I love your DELICIOUS site! I tried out these cupcakes this weekend as my first attempt at from-scratch cupcakes.

    If you would like to check them out, please visit my blog!
    http://mamahenskitchen.blogspot.com/2012/01/my-first-experience-with-from-scratch.html

    Thanks for the recipe! it was perfect :)

    Reply
  71. Laci says

    January 20, 2012 at 1:24 pm

    Hi,
    I never baked before. I plan to try this recipe for a batch of 24 cupcakes and a giant Wilton cupcake. What. Would I change in the recipe to make a batch for the giant cupcake? Also, would this be good with your Swiss merangue buttercream icing and a strawberry cupcake filling. I don’t have a kitchen aid so I will be using a hand mixer. Will that be ok?

    Thanks, this is for my daughter’s first birthday so I don’t want to mess it up!

    Reply
    • Laci says

      January 20, 2012 at 1:25 pm

      Wanted to add that I am dying natural rock candy for the sprinkles.

      Reply
  72. mohammed amer, saudi arabia says

    January 22, 2012 at 4:12 pm

    i made this cupcake, i like the frosing, smooth and tasty, but the cake was normal, i like my cake to be tender and light, anyway thank you.

    Reply
  73. louise says

    February 7, 2012 at 9:32 pm

    hi, the photos are amazing! im sure the cupcakes taste divine too! i was wondering how you put the frosting? i sooo love cupcakes iced this way but dont know how. please help!

    Reply
  74. jane says

    February 24, 2012 at 5:56 pm

    I live three doors down from the Magnolia Bakery in the West Village (NYC). In fact, I worked there as a naive sixteen year old. While there, I did learn how to ice the perfect cupcake. And I also lived an entire summer on sugar alone. That being said, the bakery itself is overhyped. I find the lines that form around the corner to be tedious and annoying, and their baked goods to be…….. only just good. Some of your other recipes on this site outshine them by a mile!

    Reply
    • Rosie @ Sweetapolita says

      February 25, 2012 at 5:50 pm

      Thanks so much, Jane!

      Reply
  75. Milena says

    April 15, 2012 at 9:27 pm

    Hi Rosie! I had the pleasure of making these cupcakes over the weekend for Easter lunch at my in-laws. What can I say? They tasted delicious and were a huge hit with all the guests =)

    I put the pics of the finished product on my blog http://meetingmilena.blogspot.com/2012/04/cupcaked-out.html

    Cant wait to try out some more of the recipes on your blog.

    Thanks,
    Milena

    Reply
  76. Catalina @ Cake with Love says

    April 15, 2012 at 11:27 pm

    Oh these look so cute! I love pink colored desserts!

    Reply
  77. hiphiphourray says

    April 16, 2012 at 7:01 pm

    wow! I love those cupcakes!!

    Reply
  78. Joanna says

    April 21, 2012 at 6:55 am

    Wow. These are amazing!! The texture and lightness are amazing!!! This has now trumped all other cupcake recipes I have. Thankyou so very much :)

    Reply
  79. Melanie says

    April 23, 2012 at 9:23 pm

    Hi Rosie,

    Can I just say I’m so happy I have stumbled across your wonderful site! Your recipes look amazing and I can’t wait to whip these up for my brothers birthday and maybe even attempt the Swiss Meringue Buttercream for Mother’s Day!

    I just love all your ideas and photos :)
    Melanie – from Australia xo

    Reply
  80. Jemisha says

    April 27, 2012 at 7:58 pm

    This recipe is amazing. Both the cupcakes and icing are a hit. I could not stop myself from doing several quality taste tests. Can’t wait to try your other recipes!

    Reply
  81. Amanda says

    May 4, 2012 at 1:53 am

    Your blog is amazing, I aspire to give as many of your creations a go as I can. Just wondering if you would recommend freezing the frosting? Or if you have one that is suitable for freezing? I find I make so much and dont want to waste it!
    Thanks :)

    Reply
  82. RicoBel says

    May 4, 2012 at 4:11 pm

    This looks FANTASTIC!
    And it doesn’t sound too difficult, I would definitely try that!
    Thank you for this great cute recipe!

    Reply
  83. Annabelle says

    May 9, 2012 at 1:06 am

    First of all, I love everything about your site! It’s beautiful, inspiring and informative, so thank you!
    I made these cupcakes yesterday, and they were delicious, but after they cooled they remained very sticky, and I can’t understand why, since I followed the recipe and I bake all the time, so it’s not new to me…
    Do you have any idea why this could have happened? I thought that perhaps I put too much sugar, but as I said, I followed the recipe…
    Would love to get your comments on this.
    Thank you so much,
    Annabelle.

    Reply
  84. Choco says

    May 9, 2012 at 9:02 am

    This recipe has converted my mother. She loathes vanilla cake, but after trying the batter told me to, “forget college, go in to baking! You could bake for the president!” Haha. Thank you tons for the post- this is brilliant. :D

    Reply
  85. Alexandra says

    May 13, 2012 at 1:19 pm

    Perfection! Just made a whole batch and they look so cute. Even without a KitchenAid, your recipes always work for me and my little hand mixer. Love it!
    x

    Reply
  86. Holly says

    May 25, 2012 at 12:32 am

    Hi Rosie,

    I love all the sprinkles you use in your baking. Would you mind telling me where you got them? Thanks!

    -Holly

    Reply
  87. Ayesha says

    May 29, 2012 at 1:35 pm

    Hello!
    I was just wondering, can I use this recipe for baking cupcakes in my microwave? Thing is, it is a microwave-oven.. But I obviously can not put metal plates in it! So could you pleas help me out here? There is a pre-heat and cake-bake setting on it though..

    Reply
  88. Erin says

    June 1, 2012 at 11:01 pm

    Absolutely incredible. I think this is the best cupcake recipe I’ve ever used, and I’ve tried many. Perfect dome on top; perfectly moist, yet fluffy; perfectly sweet. Definitely being added to my “Little Pink Recipe Book.”

    Vanilla cupcakes + mint green buttercream + colourful sprinkles= perfection.

    Reply
  89. GinaLALAmamma says

    June 9, 2012 at 11:31 pm

    your blog is so beautiful, and beyond delicious. i’m not even a sweets person, and i want to eat everything on here. trying to come up with cupcakes for my wedding – something simple, but you know, perfect.

    :)
    gina

    Reply
  90. Simka says

    June 25, 2012 at 10:05 pm

    Wonderful cupcakes! I’ve been looking for cupcakes that I could make for my girls’ birthday next month and I think I’ve found it! We made them last week and they were a hit with the girls.

    Thanks for a wonderful blog. I can’t wait to try some of your other things.

    Simka

    Reply
  91. Karen Gentry says

    July 15, 2012 at 8:32 am

    Beautiful!!! I can’t wait to make these. This is on my list to bake tomorrow. Thanks for sharing the recipe. Your work is amazing!!!

    Reply
  92. Hallie says

    July 22, 2012 at 11:38 pm

    Just made these cupcakes. Best and fluffiest frosting I have ever made. I used yogurt instead of milk for the cupcakes, and they were delicious. I could gaze at your dessert pictures all day. Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply
  93. EngineerMum says

    July 30, 2012 at 5:37 am

    Hi Rosie,

    From one Rosie to another – do these freeze and defrost well? How would you recommend defrosting them?

    Rosana/engineerMum

    Reply
  94. Mei says

    August 30, 2012 at 3:08 am

    Hello Rosie,

    The cupcakes look lovely and so dreamy! Just a quick question, I tried the frosting recipe and cut down a bit of the sugar cos’ I didn’t want it to be too sweet. The consistency was great, however, it turned out to be a bit oily so it looked kinda glossy after a while. do you know what might be the possible reason? Thanks!

    Reply
  95. Monet says

    October 5, 2012 at 6:25 pm

    Happy Vanilla Cupcake day! These look just rosy! Thank you for sharing…and for making me want to make my own batch. I hope you have a wonderful evening!

    Reply
  96. Shannon says

    November 18, 2012 at 7:38 pm

    what does this mean? “Add the dry ingredients in 3 part”

    Reply
    • Rosie @ Sweetapolita says

      November 18, 2012 at 8:04 pm

      Hi Shannon,
      It means add the flour mixture in 3 separate additions, alternating with the milk mixture: dry, wet, dry, wet, dry.

      Reply
      • Shannon says

        November 18, 2012 at 8:12 pm

        so sorry, but what does that mean? ” add the flour mixture in 3 seperate additions” & is the milk mixture the milk&vanilla? Also, what do you mean by dry, wet, dry, wet, dry?

        Thanks so much. please reply asap!(:

        Reply
        • Rosie @ Sweetapolita says

          November 18, 2012 at 8:17 pm

          It means once you’ve creamed the butter and sugar, followed by adding the eggs, you would add 1/3 of the dry mixture and combine, 1/2 milk mixture and combine, another 1/3 of the dry and combine, the remaining milk mixture and combine, and then finally add remaining dry ingredients and combine. Best of luck!

          Reply
          • Shannon says

            November 18, 2012 at 8:44 pm

            the dry mixture is the flour? and the milk mixture is the milk and vanilla?

          • Shannon says

            November 18, 2012 at 8:47 pm

            and we mix and blend them all together right?

  97. Shannon says

    November 19, 2012 at 11:23 am

    HI!(: i already asked a few questions but can someone please answer? Is the dry mixture ONLY the flour? and is the milk mixture the milk AND vanilla?

    Reply
    • Shannon says

      November 20, 2012 at 10:10 pm

      please reply ASAP!! it;s for a project!

      Reply
  98. Jayun says

    January 8, 2013 at 12:10 am

    Hi Rosie! I am dying to try this recipe out for my friend’s 18th birthday, however I can’t get any self-raising flour. Is there a substitute for this, or can I add more AP flour? Thanks!

    Reply
  99. Ehdi says

    January 31, 2013 at 7:21 pm

    Hi Rosie! I made these cupcakes and the flavor was like the flavor of a sweet corn bread muffin. I don’t know what I did wrong. I’m curious about the two types of flour. Why does the recipe call for self-rising flour? Why not just the all-purpose flour? I followed the recipe to the “T”. Please help.

    Reply
  100. Charisma says

    March 15, 2013 at 1:48 pm

    Aloha!

    The picture looks awesome and I cannot wait to make my own. Do I really have to use 2 cups of sugar? I’m hoping to make this recipe for my daughter’s birthday and thinking two cups will be too much sugar.

    Please help! Thank you!!

    Reply
  101. Catherine says

    March 16, 2013 at 11:43 pm

    These look amazing!! Always love your posts..keep up the great work :D

    Just a quick question – if i was to do the 2 9-inch round cakes..how long would these need to be baked for. I’m guessing around 30-35 minutes?

    Reply
  102. Marie says

    April 1, 2013 at 7:46 am

    I made these tonight – they were gorgeous! So light and fluffy, and the frosting was perfect. Thank you! And your photos are so sweet!

    Reply
  103. unruhb says

    April 30, 2013 at 11:48 am

    These are beautiful!!!! I really love the taste of Almond. I was wondering if you could replace the vanilla extract with almond extract??? Or do you have a cake or cupcake recipe that has the almond taste??? Thanks

    Reply
  104. tracey says

    June 10, 2013 at 9:12 pm

    I have made these cupcakes again and again. The only change I made was I added vanilla beans to the vanilla. This is the best recipe ever for vanilla cupcakes. I tried one three days in a row and I swear they get even more amazing by the third day. How does that work? Thank you so much for this crazy good recipe!

    Reply
    • catherine says

      July 29, 2013 at 10:41 am

      Hello Tracey, just curious how your cupcakes were stored, at room temp or fridge? What type of packaging? Thank you!

      Reply
  105. Rand says

    July 13, 2013 at 8:20 am

    Hi rosie, is this supposed to be a dense cake? The cake turned out moist. But when I open the cup cake wrapper, the cake still holds its shape it doesn’t fall apart, there are crumbs but I find that the cake to be soft. It taste bit floury for my taste. Can you please tell me the texture of the cake that is suppose to be? And how can i fix my problems? Thanks!

    Reply
  106. Lita says

    January 16, 2014 at 1:44 pm

    Can this be made into a cake? I made the cupcakes a few years ago for my daughters birthday and they were fabulous but I want to do a cake this year instead.

    Reply
  107. Sydni says

    January 28, 2014 at 3:40 pm

    I really like the cupcakes, but i believe that it would taste a little less eggy with 2 eggs rather than 4. Other than that…..ABSOLUTELY YUMMY!!!

    Reply
  108. Kristen says

    March 3, 2014 at 10:43 am

    Just wondering how much batter you put in each liner? Do you use like an ice ream scoop to fill them?

    Reply
  109. Delissemarie says

    March 25, 2014 at 2:34 pm

    Hello! I’m a big fan of cupcakes and cakes even my decor hability isn’t the best, when I’m making a new recipe I like to see the cake on the inside so I know what to expect..So this is the only thing missing in this cupcakes pictures. I think lots of people would agree on this.

    Reply
  110. dorothy says

    May 29, 2014 at 6:22 pm

    My Granddaughter has discovered cupcakes. She is 2 1/2. I want to make these for her only mini size would this recipe work in mini liners and tin. Love your website. Thank you. Love the endearment “cakelets”.

    Reply
  111. Leanne says

    August 27, 2014 at 7:01 pm

    Perfect cupcakes! Thank you for adding grams & mls, as cup size in Australia is bigger. Found lightly whisking the 4 eggs together than beating a 1/4 of the eggs in at a time helped incorporated such a large amount.

    Reply
  112. Sara says

    November 8, 2014 at 1:12 pm

    Followed this recipe exactly, even down to making a special trip to buy self-rising flour. The dough was thick and gluey, and they barely rose. The cupcakes were hard, tasted like scones, and completely separated from the liners. So disappointing and a total waste of money and time. :(

    Reply
  113. sylvia says

    November 23, 2014 at 2:24 pm

    Hello rosie!
    Love your blog and have done many of your recipies. Cupcakes are a huge hit with my parisian friends! but im wondering if i can possibly use this recipe to make a “degradé” 3 layer cake? Your other vanilla layer recipies are super good but I need enough time to bake it and I might not have it. Would this work for a 9″ pan?
    Merci ;)
    Sylvia

    Reply
  114. Cheryl says

    December 29, 2014 at 9:19 pm

    I tried this recipe today and the cupcakes came out great! I had enough batter for 24 cupcakes plus a single layer 6” round cake, which was great because the cupcakes are for a first birthday and the round cake will be a smash cake. I used a 1/4 measuring cup to scoop the batter into the liners. Can’t wait to taste on with icing. Thanks for sharing .

    Reply
  115. SweetCakesbyDari says

    May 12, 2015 at 6:07 am

    Hi Rosie. I’ve made these before and they are a very lovely vanilla cupcake. If I wanted to make these in bigger batches can I double the recipe?

    Reply
  116. Sara says

    June 19, 2015 at 6:39 pm

    I recently found your blog and am totally loving it! These look awesome but I want to try them as mini cupcakes for a party, do you think they will come out as fluffy? I have THE WORST time getting vanilla/white cake not to be super dense. Thanks!

    Reply
  117. Alexia says

    September 5, 2015 at 6:50 am

    Hi Rosie!

    I found your website a couple of months ago and I love it! I have baked these cupcakes many times and they are so yummy! Always a hit with my friends. I’ve also tried halving the recipe and the cupcakes came out perfect, and also made them with semi-skimmed milk without changes in texture or taste. I only had problems a couple of times when they rose beautifully in the oven and then sunk down to a flat top when I took them out, but substituting the flour combination to 350g plain flour with 2 full tsp of baking powder worked. Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks for posting all these gorgeous recipes. I am not an experienced baker and your blog is a great inspiration, also for the fabulous decorating!

    Reply
  118. Kristen B says

    September 21, 2015 at 9:17 pm

    These are the ones I’ve been searching for! Incredible! I didn’t have self rising flour, so I used half AP and half cake flour plus 2t baking powder and 1t kosher salt. I also doubled the vanilla extract because I wanted a strong vanilla flavor. I also always preheat my oven to 425 for cupcakes, then once they’re in the oven I turn it down to 350. It helps them dome nicely. Thanks so much!

    Reply
  119. Alexis says

    January 20, 2016 at 10:01 pm

    I’m so excited to make these for my son’s first birthday party! I’m doing a trial run tonight and unfortunately, they took a lot longer than 18 minutes to be done and were totally sunken in :( I live in Denver, Colorado- could this be an altitude thing? HELP!

    Reply
  120. Mary says

    June 29, 2016 at 1:23 pm

    I have had some very bad luck making vanilla cupcakes, and actually abandoned them completely for the past couple of years. I’m so glad I tried these! The texture is perfect, not as dense and dry as some bakery cupcakes can be but still sturdy enough to hold up to toppings and giant piles of frosting. They do have an eggy taste, which I absolutely love. I see lots of these cupcakes in my family’s future!

    Reply
  121. Nikki says

    December 29, 2017 at 11:16 am

    Hi! I’m hoping you can clear my confusion :) while I was reading your blog it says the recipe calls for 4 eggs, however when I read the recipe I don’t see eggs added to the cupcakes. Just want to clarify before I begin baking :)!

    Reply
  122. Susan says

    August 1, 2018 at 7:48 am

    Why do you put so much milk it this recipe
    I found it cuddled every time

    Reply

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Hi, I’m Rosie! Welcome to the new (and even sweeter) version of the Sweetapolita blog! You will now find frequent new recipes + so, so much more: lifestyle posts themed around my life as a baker, mom-preneur, sprinkle-tosser, lover of travel, photography, fashion and all things happy!
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